Crystalline Shawl is our first original lace pattern, and our first pattern designed for our Brilliance 4 Ply wool/silk yarn.
It’s available as a stand-alone pattern from Ravelry, LoveKnitting and Craftsy, or as part of a kit with hand dyed yarn and Japanese knitting beads.
The lace design is inspired by geometric, crystalline forms in architecture. It’s a classic tumbling blocks motif (often found in patchwork) with textured stitch detailing, punctuated with beads for a little added sparkle and definition. The garment has asymmetrical, staggered cast on/off edges, and zigzag lace edging. In other words, lots of interest for both the knitter and the wearer. The pattern is my most complex so far, having been nearly two years in development. I’ll be sharing more about the (lengthy) pattern development process and the inspiration behind the design soon!
The shawl can be knitted in three sizes, from a long narrow scarf to a wide shawl. Sizes 1 & 2 are one-skein projects.
The Brilliance 4 Ply yarn line was in many ways developed for the pattern, rather than the other way around. I am a big fan of lace knitting, and while our merino sock yarn is also great for shawls, there’s nothing quite like a silk blend for that luxurious drape.
Brilliance 4 Ply in ‘Silver’, ‘Garnet’, ‘Graphite’ and ‘Sapphire’
The yarn is 55% British Bluefaced Leicester wool and 45% silk. BFL is a semi-lustre wool fibre that when combined with silk, gives hand-dyed colours an ethereal glow. I knitted the sample in ‘Graphite‘ to show a highly wearable garment for everyday. But, I am itching to start one in ‘‘ with contrasting pink beads. I LOVE this shade and I think it makes a real statement.
Brilliance 4 Ply in ‘Uranium’
Those first few days after a pattern launch are always a flurry of activity accompanied by a sense of achievement for finishing something, but also nerves about how it will be received. Crystalline is a garment that I have really enjoyed designing and making and I can’t wait to see the projects start to appear.
